Led light interior room and building communication system

ABSTRACT

An LED light and communication system in communication with a broadband over power line communications system. The LED light and communication system includes at least one optical transceiver. The optical transceiver includes a light support having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the light emitting diodes and the at least one photodetector. The processor is constructed and arranged to generate a communication signal. The at least one optical transceiver is engaged to a clock, and the clock is in communication with the broadband over power line communications system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation application from Ser. No. 12/126,647,filed May 23, 2008 which claims priority to provisional patentapplication No. 60/931,611, filed May 24, 2007, the disclosure of whichis expressly incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to the field of buildingcommunications, and more particularly to improve communicationsapparatus providing enhanced electrical communications signaling andcontrol systems using existing intrastructure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Present communication techniques using wireless communication includingradiofrequency transmissions raise security concerns becausetransmissions using RF can be easily intercepted, in part because of thefact that RF signals are designed to radiate signals in all directions.Second, radio frequency transmissions may be regulated by the FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) which may control the frequencies thatmay be used for RF transmission. Third, RF by its very nature issusceptible to interference and produces noise.

In contrast to RF communications, light sources used for communicationare extremely secure due to the fact that they are focused within anarrow beam, requiring placing equipment within the beam itself forinterception. Also, because the visible spectrum is not regulated by theFCC, light sources can be used for communications purposes without theneed of a license. And, light sources are not susceptible tointerference nor do they produce noise that can interfere with otherdevices.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) can be used as light sources for datatransmission, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,879,263 and 7,046,160,the entire contents of each being expressly incorporated herein byreference. LEDs have many advantages over conventional light sources,such as incandescent and fluorescent lighting, for example. Oneimportant advantage is their quick response to “ON” and “OFF” signals,as compared to the longer warm-up and response times associated withfluorescent lighting, for example. Another important advantage is theirefficiency in producing light, as measured in lumens per watt. Recentdevelopments in LED technology, such as high brightness blue LEDs, whichin turn paved the way for white LEDs, have made LEDs a practicalalternative to conventional light sources. As such, LED technologyprovides a practical opportunity to combine lighting and communication.This combination of lighting and communication allows ubiquitous lightsources such as street lights, home lighting, and office buildinglighting, for example, to be converted to, or supplemented with, LEDtechnology to provide for communications while simultaneously producinglight for illumination purposes.

Regarding office buildings, building management is a complex sciencewhich incorporates and governs all facets of human, mechanical andstructural systems associated with buildings. As a result of thecomplexity, most commercial buildings are managed by commercial propertymanagement companies with great expertise. Both at the time ofconstruction and throughout the life-cycle of a building, theinterrelationships between people and the mechanical and structuralsystems are most desirably evaluated. Where possible and cost-effective,human interactions with a building and associated mechanical systemswill be optimized, in turn providing the greatest benefit to both theowners and those who use the facilities afforded by the building.Noteworthy is the fact that building users may include both regularoccupants such as individual or commercial tenants, and also transientoccupants such as visitors, guests, or commercial customers.

Building management includes diverse facets, some which are simplyrepresentations of the building and associated systems and people, andother facets which are tangible. Exemplary of representations areaccounting or financial monitoring responsibilities which will includingrecord keeping control and assurance of financial transactions involvingtenants, owners, and service providers. Exemplary of the physical ortangible responsibilities are physical development and maintenance,including identification of need for features, improvements, maintenanceand the assurance of the execution of the same. As is well understood bythose highly versed in building management, the diverse responsibilitiesand extent of information required to manage a building is often quiteoverwhelming.

One very important area associated with building management is lightingor illumination. While often perceived as a simple task of providinglights, this seemingly simple task has much research and science behinda well-designed lighting system. This is because safety, productivityand general well-being of occupants depend heavily on proper lighting.

Many factors need considered at the time of construction or remodelingto facilitate proper lighting design. Intended usage of a space isimportant in illumination design consideration, since this will dictatenecessary illumination levels, times and duration of use, andanticipated cycling of the illumination. In other words, a supply closetwill not ordinarily be designed for around-the-clock illumination, andmay instead by configured to operate on a switch, or alternatively amotion detector with relatively short-delay turn-off when no motion isdetected. The use of appropriate switches and motion detectors helps toreduce the energy required for a building to function with occupants,and simultaneously increases the life of many illumination componentssuch as light sources (light bulbs and equivalents thereto) since thelight sources are only required intermittently. As another example, aroom where movies, slides, computer or other visual or audio-visualpresentations are given, such as a boardroom or classroom, willpreferably have light controls such as separate switches or switches anddimmer controls which enable the entire room to be well lit oralternatively maintain a minimum level of illumination normally oppositeto where the presentation is displayed. This minimum level ofillumination enables occupants sufficient light for note-taking, safemovement and other important activities, without interfering with thelegibility of a presentation. In yet another example, a primarywork-space such as a desk or kitchen counter will require illuminationthat does not cast shadows on the work space while work is beingperformed. Complementary illumination, such as windows or skylights, isalso important in design consideration.

Nearly all public buildings rely on a great many lamps positionedthroughout the interior of the building, such as along hall corridorsand in each room, and also about the exterior. These lights havehistorically been activated manually, though more recently a small butgrowing number are activated according to occupancy, proximity or motionsensors, typically incorporating the well-known Infra-Red (IR) motionsensors. Architects are commonly employed to assist not only with afloor plan of physical spaces, but also with the proper selection andlayout of lighting to best complement the floor plan and usage of eachspace within a building. As may be appreciated, illumination of a spaceis determined at the time of production of blueprints, in anticipationof construction. The illumination that has been chosen for a space isessentially fixed during building construction. Changes may be madelater, but not without substantial additional expense that will, forexemplary purposes, often include removal of parts of or entire walls,with the accompanying disruption of the space. Often the space isunavailable for use during the entire duration of a remodeling project.

Further complicating the issue of illumination is the type of light bulbthat may be most appropriate for a space or location. Original electriclight bulbs were incandescent. With sufficient electrical energy, whichis converted to heat within an incandescent bulb filament, the filamentwill emit visible light. This is similar to a fire, where with enoughheat, visible light is produced. As might also be appreciated though,incandescent bulbs produce far more heat than light. The color of thelight from these bulbs is also most commonly quite yellow, casting awarm hue at a color temperature typically in the vicinity of 3,000degrees Kelvin. Warm hues are often prized in relaxed settings such asthose of a living room or dining room, more closely resembling gentlecandle light. However, in contrast thereto, work and study environmentsare more preferably illuminated with light of more blue content, moreclosely resembling daylight with color temperatures of approximately6,000 degrees Kelvin. Daylight color temperatures are not practicallyobtained using an incandescent bulb. In addition, these incandescentbulbs have only a few thousand hour life expectancy, even with more thana century of improvements, because the extreme temperatures required forthe filament to light also gradually evaporates the filament material.Finally, the thermal mass of the filament greatly influences how quicklythe filament both illuminates and extinguishes. In spite of the manylimitations, incandescent bulbs are still in fairly wide-spread usetoday.

An alternative to incandescent light bulbs in common use today is thefluorescent bulb. A fluorescent light bulb uses a small amount ofmercury in vapor state. High voltage electricity is applied to themercury gas, causing the gas to ionize and generate some visible light,but primarily UltraViolet (UV) light. UV light is harmful to humans,being the component that causes sun burns, so the UV component of thelight must be converted into visible light. The inside of a fluorescenttube is coated with a phosphorescent material, which when exposed toultraviolet light glows in the visible spectrum. This is similar to manyglow-in-the-dark toys and other devices that incorporate phosphorescentmaterials. As a result, the illumination from a fluorescent light willcontinue for a significant time, even after electrical power isdiscontinued, which for the purposes of the present disclosure will beunderstood to be the latent period or latency between the change inpower status and response by the phosphor. As the efficiencies andbrightness of the phosphors has improved, so in many instances have thedelays in illumination and extinguishing, or latency, increased. Throughthe selection of ones of many different modern phosphorescent coatingsat the time of manufacture, fluorescent bulbs may manufactured thatproduce light from different parts of the spectrum, resulting inmanufacturing control of the color temperature, or hue or warmness of abulb.

The use of fluorescent bulbs, even though quite widespread, iscontroversial for several reasons. One source states that all pre-1979light ballasts emit highly toxic Polychlorinated BiPhenyls (PCBs). Evenif modern ballasts are used, fluorescent bulbs also contain a small butfinite amount of mercury. Even very small amounts of mercury aresufficient to contaminate a property. Consequently, both the manufactureand disposal of mercury-containing fluorescent tubes is hazardous.Fluorescent lighting has also been alleged to cause chemical reactionsin the brain and body that produce fatigue, depression,immuno-suppression, and reduced metabolism. Further, while the phosphormaterials may be selected to provide hue or color control, this hue isfixed at the time of manufacture, and so is not easily changed to meetchanging or differing needs for a given building space.

Other gaseous discharge bulbs such as halide, mercury or sodium vaporlamps have also been devised. Halide, mercury and sodium vapor lampsoperate at higher temperatures and pressures, and so present undesirablygreater fire hazards. In addition, these bulbs present a possibility ofexposure to harmful radiation from undetected ruptured outer bulbs.Furthermore, mercury and sodium vapor lamps generally have very poorcolor-rendition-indices, meaning the light rendered by these bulbs isquite different from ordinary daylight, distorting human colorperception. Yet another set of disadvantages has to do with the startingor lighting of these types of bulbs. Mercury and sodium vapor lamps bothexhibit extremely slow starting times, often measured by many minutes.The in-rush currents during starting are also commonly large. Many ofthe prior art bulbs additionally produce significant and detrimentalnoise pollution, commonly in the form of a hum or buzz at the frequencyof the power line alternating current. In some cases, such asfluorescent lights, ballasts change dimension due to magnetostrictiveforces. Magnetic field leakage from the ballast may undesirably coupleto adjacent conductive or ferromagnetic materials, resulting in magneticforces as well. Both types of forces will generate undesirable sound.Additionally, in some cases a less-optimal bulb may also produce abuzzing sound.

When common light bulbs are incorporated into public and privatefacilities, the limitations of prior art bulb technologies often willadversely impact building occupants. As just one example, in one schoolthe use of full-spectrum lamps in eight experimental classroomsdecreased anxiety, depression, and inattention in students with SAD(Seasonal Affective Disorder). The connection between lighting andlearning has been conclusively established by numerous additionalstudies. Mark Schneider, with the National Clearinghouse for EducationalFacilities, declares that ability to perform requires “clean air, goodlight, and a quiet, comfortable, and safe learning environment.”Unfortunately, the flaws in much of the existing lighting have been madeworse as buildings have become bigger. The foregoing references toschools will be understood to be generally applicable to commercial andmanufacturing environments as well, making even the selection of typesof lights and color-rendition-indexes very important, again dependingupon the intended use for a space. Once again, this selection will befixed, either at the time of construction when a particular lightingfixture is installed, or at the time of bulb installation, either in anew fixture or with bulb replacements.

A second very important area associated with building management isenergy management. The concern for energy management is driven by theexpense associated with energy consumed over the life of a building.Energy management is quite challenging to design into a building,because many human variables come into play within different areaswithin a building structure. Considering the foregoing discussion oflighting, different occupants will have different preferences andhabits. Some occupants may regularly forget to turn off lights when aspace is no longer being occupied, thereby wasting electricity anddiminishing the useful life of the light bulbs. In another instance, oneoccupant may require full illumination for that occupant to operateefficiently or safely within a space, while a second occupant might onlyrequire a small amount or local area of illumination. Furthercomplicating the matter of energy management is the fact that manycommercial establishments may have rates based upon peak usage. Abusiness with a large number of lights that are controlled with a commonswitch may have peak demands large relative to total consumption ofpower, simply due to the relatively large amount of power that will rushin to the circuit. Breaking the circuit into several switches may notadequately address inrush current, since a user may switch more than oneswitch at a time, such as by sliding a hand across several switches atonce. Additionally, during momentary or short-term power outages, thestart-up of electrical devices by the power company is known to causemany problems, sometimes harming either customer equipment or powercompany devices. Control over inrush current is therefore verydesirable, and not economically viable in the prior art.

Energy management also includes consideration for differences intemperature preferred by different occupants or for differentactivities. For exemplary purposes, an occupant of a first office spacewithin a building may prefer a temperature close to 68 degreesFahrenheit, while a different occupant in a second office space mayprefer a temperature close to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The first andsecond office spaces may even be the same office space, just atdifferent times of day. For exemplary purposes, an employee working in amail room from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. may be replaced by a different mailroom employee who works from 4 p.m. until 12 a.m. Heating, Ventilation,and Air Conditioning (HVAC) demand or need is dependent not only uponthe desired temperature for a particular occupant, but also upon thenumber of occupants within a relatively limited space. In other words, asmall room with many people will require more ventilation and lessheating than that same room with only one occupant.

With careful facility design, considerable electrical and thermal energycan be saved. Proper management of electrical resources affects everyindustry, including both tenants and building owners. In the prior art,this facility design has been limited to selection of very simple orbasic switches, motion detectors, and thermostats, and particularlights, all fixed at the time of design, construction or installation.

A third very important area associated with building management issecurity. Continuing to use a school as but one example of a publicbuilding, a one-room country school fifty years ago was made up of oneteacher who knew well the small number of pupils. Security consisted ofa simple padlock on a wooden door. The several windows on one side ofthe room provided light. They were locked but almost never broken into,for nothing of major value, even during the Depression, enticedpotential thieves.

Architecture changed as the years passed. Buildings were enlarged asschool populations increased. Students started to conceal books,outerwear, valuables, and occasionally even weapons in enclosed lockers.Indoor lighting was required. Eventually as society became morehazardous, security had to be provided in many schools in the form ofpersonnel who were required to patrol both outside and inside schools inorder to provide a measure of safety.

In many public buildings, including schools, modern security presentlyscreens a building's occupants to ensure that they belong or have properauthorization to enter the building. Security must also check forweapons, drugs, and even explosives. Thus, modern security personnel areoften responsible for property as well as people. As the types ofpotential perils increase, so does the need for personnel, to processoccupants through more and more stations. For exemplary purposes, inschools, airports, court houses, and other public facilities, one ormore guards may check identification, admission badges or paperwork,while one or more other guards monitor metal detectors. One or moreadditional guards may be monitoring drug sniffing dogs or equipment, orspot checking bags. Unfortunately, the possibilities of duplicationand/or forgery of credentials, or of hostile powers infiltratingsecurity, or other criminal methods demonstrate the potential weaknessesof the present system, which depends upon a large number of securityemployees. Motion sensors and other prior art electronic securitymeasures, while often beneficial, occasionally fail even when used incombination with security personnel to provide adequate protection. Onthe outside of a building, motion sensors may be activated by strongwinds, stray animals, passing vehicles, or blowing debris. Inside, theyoperate only for a specific time; a room's occupant, if not movingabout, may suddenly be in the dark and must re-activate the light bywaving or flailing about.

An increasingly complex, and therefore hazardous, society requiresincreasingly extensive patrols and safeguards. Current security system,which must rely on increasing the numbers of guards and securitydevices, are subject to inherent defects and extraordinary expense,generally rendering them inadequate even with the best of intention.

Yet another very important area associated with building management isguidance control and indication, which impacts building security, aswell as building convenience and efficiency for occupants. In buildingshaving many alternative hallways or paths, such as are commonly found inhospitals and other large public facilities, directions are often clumsyand difficult for visitors or emergency personnel to follow.Old-fashioned directories may be hard to locate or decipher, especiallyfor non-English speakers or for persons with little or no time, againsuch as emergency personnel. Consequently, some buildings provide colorstripes along walls that serve as color coding to guide visitors tovarious areas within the building. Unfortunately, the number of colorstripes that may be patterned is quite limited, and the expense anddefacing of appearance associated therewith is undesirable. Furthermore,such striping does not completely alleviate confusion, and the colorstripes can only serve as general guides to commonly visited areas.

In addition to their numerous uses with building management, LEDs can beused in networking applications. In any network, a variety of clientdevices will communicate with one or more host devices. The host mayprovide connection to a Local Area Network (LAN), sometimes referred toas an Intranet, owing to the common use of such a network entirelywithin an office space, building, or business. The host may additionallyor alternatively provide connection to a Wide Area Network (WAN),commonly describing a network coupling widely separated physicallocations which are connected together through any suitable connection,including for exemplary purposes but not solely limited thereto suchmeans as fiber optic links, T1 lines, Radio Frequency (RF) linksincluding cellular telecommunications links, satellite connections, DSLconnections, or even Internet connections. Generally, where more publicmeans such as the Internet are used, secured access will commonlyseparate the WAN from general Internet traffic. The host may furtherprovide access to the Internet.

A variety of client devices have heretofore been enabled to connect tohost devices. Such client devices may commonly include computing devicesof all sorts, ranging from hand-held devices such as Personal DigitalAssistants (PDAs) to massive mainframe computers, and including PersonalComputers (PCs). However, over time many more devices have been enabledfor connection to network hosts, including for exemplary purposesprinters, network storage devices, cameras, other security and safetydevices, appliances, HVAC systems, manufacturing machinery, and soforth. Essentially, any device which incorporates or can be made toincorporate sufficient electronic circuitry may be so linked as a clientto a host.

Existing client devices are designed to connect to host network accesspoints through wired connections, like copper wire, for example, fiberoptic connections, or as wireless connections, such as wireless routers.In the case of a wired system, whether through simple wire, twistedwire, co-axial cable, fiber optics or other line or link, the host andclient are tethered together through this physical communicationschannel. The tether, as may be appreciated, limits movement of theclient relative to the host, is often unsightly and hard to contain in aworkspace, and so may even be or become a tripping hazard. In addition,electrical connectors such as jacks must be provided, and theseconnectors necessarily limit the number of access points and locations.The installation of connectors defaces walls, sometimes rendering themunsuitable for a particular desired application, and yet they addundesirable installation expense, whether during new construction or inretrofitting an existing building structure.

In contrast, in the case of wireless routers, an RF signal replaces thephysical communications channel with a radio channel. Thisadvantageously eliminates the wire or fiber tether between client andhost. Instead, client devices in a wireless system try through variousbroadcasts and signal receptions to find an access point that will haveadequate transmission and reception, generally within a certain signalrange which may range from a few meters to as many as several tens ofmeters. The systems are programmed to bridge from a host access point tovarious client devices through known exchanges of information, commonlydescribed as communications protocols or handshakes. Depending upon thecommunications channel, a variety of client connection devices areutilized such as PCMCIA or PC cards, serial ports, parallel ports, SIMMcards, USB connectors, Ethernet cards or connectors, firewireinterfaces, Bluetooth compatible devices, infrared/IrDA devices, andother known or similar components.

The security of these prior art wireless devices can be compromised inthat they are vulnerable to unauthorized access or interception, and theinterception may be from a significant distance, extending often wellbeyond physical building and property boundaries. Moreover, reliabilitycan be hindered by interference from an appliance such as a microwaveoven.

Buildings can encompass a very large number of rooms or discrete spaces,each functioning relatively independently from each other. Where therooms or discrete spaces together form a larger entity such as abusiness, public institution or facility, or the like, which haveattempted to include synchronized time keeping throughout the entity. Alarge number of buildings, both public and private, have synchronizedclocks installed therein.

These same buildings also have a number of additional featuresincluding, for exemplary purposes though not limited thereto, fire andsmoke detection, temperature control, and public address. Because of theever-changing nature of a building and the best practices associatedtherewith, it can be quite difficult if not impossible to keep all areaswithin a building up to date with best practices or preferredcapabilities. One method of desirable features or capabilities within abuilding space is through the use of electrical wiring adequate toaccommodate the features or capabilities, particularly when the featuresor capabilities are identified subsequent to original construction.

For exemplary purposes, a building may accommodate very differentnumbers of occupants at different times within a relatively enclosedspace, such as a meeting or class room. The number of occupants is knownto significantly alter the temperature and associated need for HVACcontrol. Furthermore, other factors, such as weather conditions andsunlight or lack thereof through windows in a room may have as much orgreater effect on the need for HVAC control. However, many olderbuildings were only provided with a single central thermostat, providingthe same amount of heating or air conditioning to a room or other spaceregardless of demand for the same. Newer HVAC systems enable control,through electrically controlled dampers or vents within the HVAC systemto much more precisely respond to the needs of a single space or roomwithin a building. However, without providing wiring within the room toaccommodate the thermostat and various duct controls, the room may notbe individually controlled.

Even where a building is originally provided with appropriate wiring foreach electrical system or component desired, necessary remodeling maycritically alter the need. As one example, consider when a room or spaceis subdivided into two smaller spaces. Existing wiring only provides forelectrical connection to one set of devices for one room. In this case,it may be necessary to run new wires back to one or more centrallocations, utility rooms, or the like to accommodate the new room anddevices within the room.

More buildings are incorporating wireless networks within the building,the networks which are intended to reduce the need for wiringalterations and additions practiced heretofore. However, these wirelessnetworks are not contained within the walls of a building, and so theyare subject to a number of limitations. One of these is the lack ofspecific localization of a signal and device. For exemplary purposes,even a weak Radio-Frequency (RF) transceiver, in order to communicatereliably with all devices within a room, will have a signal pattern thatwill undoubtedly cross into adjacent rooms. If only one room or space ina building is to be covered, this signal overlap is without consequence.However, when many rooms are to be covered by different transceivers,signal overlap between transceivers requires more complex communicationssystems, including incorporating techniques such as access control anddevice selection based upon identification. Since the radio signal isinvisible, detection of radiant pattern and signal strength aredifficult and require special instruments. Further, detection ofinterference is quite difficult. Finally, such systems are subject tooutside tapping and corruption, since containment of the signal ispractically impossible for most buildings.

The art referred to and/or described above is not intended to constitutean admission that any patent, publication or other information referredto herein is “prior art” with respect to this invention. In addition,this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been madeor that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. §1.56(a)exists.

All U.S. patents and applications and all other published documentsmentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of some ofthe claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additionaldetails of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additionalembodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description ofthe Invention below.

A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification isprovided for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. §1.72.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a light emitting diode(LED) signal light and systematic information transfer through encryptedpulsed light (hereinafter SIT-TEL) communication system which may bedepicted in several embodiments. Any reference to a SIT-TELcommunication herein is perceived to be equivalent to, and/or the sameas, a general reference to pulsed light communication. In general, thesignal light and SIT-TEL pulsed light communication system may be formedof a single row, single source, or an array of light emitting diodelight sources configured on a light support and in electricalcommunication with a controller and a power supply, battery, or otherelectrical source. The signal light and SIT-TEL pulsed lightcommunication system may provide various light signals, colored lightsignals, or combination or patterns of light signals for use inassociation with the communication of information. These light signalsmay also be encoded. Additionally, the signal light and SIT-TEL pulsedlight communication system may be capable of displaying symbols,characters, or arrows. Rotating and oscillating light signals may beproduced by sequentially illuminating columns of LEDs on a stationarylight support in combination with the provision of variable lightintensity from the controller. However, the signal light and SIT-TELpulsed light communication system may also be rotated or oscillated viamechanical means. The signal light and SIT-TEL pulsed lightcommunication system may also be easily transportable and may beconveniently connected to a stand such as a tripod for electricalcoupling to a power supply, battery, or other electrical source as aremote stand-alone signaling or communication device.

The signal light and SIT-TEL pulsed light communication system may beelectrically coupled to a controller used to modulate, pulse, or encode,the light generated from the light sources to provide for variouspatterns or types of illumination to transmit messages.

Individual light supports as a portion of the SIT-TEL communicationsystem may be positioned adjacent to, and/or be in electricalcommunication with another light support, through the use of suitableelectrical connections. Alternatively, individual light supports may bein communication with each other exclusively through the transmissionand receipt of pulsed light signals.

A plurality of light supports or solitary light sources may beelectrically coupled in either a parallel or series manner to acontroller. The controller is also preferably in electricalcommunication with the power supply and the LEDs, to regulate ormodulate the light intensity for the LED light sources. The individualLEDs and/or arrays of LEDs may be used for transmission of communicationpackets formed of light signals.

The controller for the LED light support may generate and/or recognizepulsed light signals used to communicate information. The LED lightsystem may also include a receptor coupled to the controller, where thereceptor is constructed and arranged for receipt of pulsed LED lightsignals for conversion to digital information, and for transfer of thedigital information to the controller for analysis and interpretation.The controller may then issue a light signal or other communicationsignal to an individual to communicate the content of receivedinformation transmitted via a pulsed LED light carrier.

Some embodiments of the present invention utilize an existing masterclock that regulates or synchronizes additional slave clocks within abuilding. Because all of the clocks in the system operate on a dedicatednetwork, the master clock is already connected to all of the rooms orspaces within the building having slave clocks. The present inventioncouples through the synchronization wire to each room or space.Communications are achieved that connect all rooms in a building thathave these master and slave clocks, without changing wiring. Also sincethese synchronized clocks have dedicated electrical wiring for thesynchronization signal that is separated from the AC power wiring, thesynchronization wire is not subject to such severe interference as mightbe found on the building's AC power wiring.

In some embodiments of the present invention a clock with an opticaltransceiver delivers network access by way of LED transceivers. Since inmany buildings clock systems with synchronization wiring is already inplace, there is no need to install additional expensive and inconvenientwiring.

In some embodiments of the present invention a clock with an opticaltransceiver is integrated into systems, such as security, safety, HVACand other diverse functions. In some embodiments of the presentinvention a clock with an optical transceiver provides for several typesof communications with a room and electrical devices therein, includingaudible, visual and optical LED communications. In some embodiments ofthe present invention a clock with an optical transceiver improvessecurity, because light does not go through walls, in contrast to radiocommunications, and steps can be taken to obstruct visible transmissionswith a much greater certainty than with radio waves. In some embodimentsof the present invention a clock with an optical transceiver limits ordirects visible light by known optical components such as lenses andreflectors to selectively narrow the radiant transmission energy, asopposed to omni-directional transmissions. In some embodiments of thepresent invention a clock with an optical transceiver reducesinterference with existing communication systems like those that arecommon today. In some embodiments of the present invention a clock withan optical transceiver facilitates and simplifies set-up, testing,troubleshooting and the like with respect to various facility systems.In some embodiments of the present invention a clock with an opticaltransceiver generates relatively high energy outputs using the preferredvisible light communications channel, since the human eye is adapted andwell-protected against damage from visible light. In contrast, manyinvisible transmission techniques such as Ultraviolet (UV) or Infra-Red(IR) systems have much potential for harm.

These and other embodiments which characterize the invention are pointedout with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a parthereof However, for further understanding of the invention, itsadvantages and objectives obtained by its use, reference should be madeto the drawings which form a further part hereof and the accompanyingdescriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and describedembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the Communication System.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the CommunicationSystem.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the CommunicationSystem.

FIG. 4 is an environmental view of an alternative embodiment of theCommunication System.

FIG. 5 is an environmental and block diagram view of an alternativeembodiment of the Communication System.

FIG. 6 illustrates by isometric projected view a first embodiment of aslave clock combined with optical transmitter and receiver in accordwith the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates by isometric projected view a second embodiment of aslave clock combined with optical transmitter and receiver in accordwith the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates by projected environmental view an embodiment of acommunications network incorporating master and slave synchronizedclocks.

FIG. 9 illustrates by front environmental view an embodiment of abuilding communication and management system within one room or space,using a single slave clock to communicate with a variety of diversedevices through optical LED communication channels.

FIG. 10 illustrates by block diagram an electrical schematic of acommunications network incorporating master and slave synchronizedclocks such as illustrated by FIG. 8, but with only one slave clockillustrated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there aredescribed in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of theinvention. This description is an exemplification of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments illustrated.

For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in thefigures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated.

In each of the embodiments discussed below, the LEDs may be formed ofthe same or different colors. The controller may be configured to selectthe color of the LEDs to be illuminated forming the light signal.

This application is related to the patent application entitled “LEDLight Communication System,” U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/126,529, filed May 23, 2008, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety. The present application is also related to thepatent application entitled “LED Light Dongle Communication System,”U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/126,227, filed May 23, 2008, whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also the presentapplication is related to the patent application entitled “BuildingIllumination Apparatus With Integrated Communications, Security andEnergy Management,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/126,342, filedMay 23, 2008, which is incorporated by reference herein it its entirety.Further the present application is also related to the patentapplication entitled “Led Light Broad Band Over Power Line CommunicationSystem,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/126,469, filed May 23,2008, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Thepresent application is also related to the patent application entitled“Led Light Global Positioning And Routing Communication System,” U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/126,589, filed May 23, 2008, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety.

Applicant incorporates by reference herein patent application Ser. No.10/646,853, filed Aug. 22, 2003, which claims the benefit of provisionalpatent application Nos. 60/405,592 and 60/405,379, both filed Aug. 23,2002, the disclosures of all three being expressly incorporated hereinby reference. Applicant also incorporates by reference herein patentapplication Ser. No. 12/032,908, filed Feb. 18, 2008, which iscontinuation of patent application Ser. No. 11/433,979, filed May 15,2006, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 11/102,989,filed Apr. 11, 2005, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,160, which is adivision of patent application Ser. No. 09/993,040, filed Nov. 14, 2001,now issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,263, which claims the benefit ofprovisional patent application No. 60/248,894, filed Nov. 15, 2000, theentire contents of each being expressly incorporated herein byreference.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment 110 of an LED light andcommunication system. FIG. 1 shows a server PC 112 connected via a USBcable 114 to a server optical transceiver (XCVR) 116, and a client PC118 connected via a USB cable 120 to a client optical transceiver 122.The server PC 112 is in communication with a network 123 via a CAT-5cable, for example. The server optical XCVR and the client optical XCVRare substantially similar in at least one embodiment. An exemplaryoptical XCVR (or, simply, “XCVR”) circuit includes one or more LEDs 124for transmission of light and one or more photodetectors 126 forreceiving transmitted light. LEDs and photodetectors are well known tothose of ordinary skill in the art and, as such, their specificoperation will not be described in detail. The term “photodetector”includes “photodiodes” and all other devices capable of converting lightinto current or voltage. The terms photodetector and photodiode are usedinterchangeably hereafter. The use of the term photodiode is notintended to restrict embodiments of the invention from using alternativephotodetectors that are not specifically mentioned herein.

In at least one embodiment, the XCVR circuit may include an RS232 to USBconversion module. The transmit pin on the USB conversion module drivesthe driver electronics for the LEDs. In some embodiments, the XCVRcircuit includes high intensity LEDs. In some embodiments it may bedesirable to use high intensity LEDs to enhance lighting, to improvedata transmission, or both. In at least one embodiment, a 12 volt DC, 3amp power supply is sufficient for powering an array of high intensityLEDs.

In some embodiments, the XCVR circuit further includes an amplifier foramplifying the optical signal received by the photodiode. The output ofthe amplifier may be fed into level shifting circuitry to raise thesignal to TTL levels, for example. The signal is then fed into thereceive pin of the RS232 to USB module.

In some embodiments, a 9V battery can be used to power the amplifiercircuitry. Significant noise is generated by switching high brightnessLEDs on and off at 200 mA and 500 kbps, for example. Powering theamplifier with a battery can reduce these noise problems by reducing orremoving transients.

It should be noted that in some embodiments, the LED can both emit andreceive light. In such an embodiment, the LED can act both as atransmitter or receiver. More information on such bi-directional LEDscan be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,587, the entire contents of whichare expressly incorporated herein by reference.

In at least one embodiment, the optical XCVRs, or circuitry attachedthereto, include modulation circuitry for modulating a carrier signalwith the optical signal. Modulation can be used to eliminate biasconditions caused by sunlight or other interfering light sources.Digital modulation can be accomplished by using phase-shift keying,amplitude-shift keying, frequency-shift keying, quadrature modulation,or any other digital modulation technique known by those of ordinaryskill. Similarly, such XCVRs can include demodulation circuitry thatextracts the data from the received signal. Modulation and demodulationtechniques for modulating light signals are known by those of ordinaryskill in the art. Examples of such techniques are described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,732,310, 5,245,681, and 6,137,613, the entire contents of eachbeing expressly incorporated herein by reference.

It may be desirable in some embodiments to further include filters orfilter circuitry to prevent unwanted light from being amplified. Forexample, the optical baseband signal can be modulated at 100 kHz andthen transmitted. The XCVR that receives the 100 kHz modulated signalcan include a filter stage centered at 100 kHz. The filtered 100 kHzsignal can then be input into the amplifier circuitry, therebypreventing amplification of unwanted signals. In some embodiments, itcan be desirable to amplify the transmitted signal first, and thenfilter out the baseband signal.

Additional information regarding data communication can be found inInternational Publication Number WO 99/49435, the entire contents ofwhich are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

In another embodiment of the present invention, security badges, IDbadges, communications badge, badge, user interface device, or nametags, these terms being used interchangeably hereafter, can includeoptical XCVRs. The optical XCVR of a user's security badge communicateswith the optical XCVRs that are also acting as room lighting, halllighting, clock or other lighting in a customer's facility. Of course,the optical XCVRs can be placed in numerous other locations as lightingsources. Using the XCVRs as light sources can reduce energy consumptionand simplify communications by reducing the filtering or modulationcomplexities necessary to distinguish data signals from extraneouslighting sources.

In accord with a preferred method of the invention, LEDs are used totransmit through optical communication channel several kinds of data,including identity, location, audio and video information. The use of anoptical communications link provides large available bandwidth, which inturn permits multiple feeds of personal communication between LED lightsources and badges similar to or in excess of that of cell phones. Theoptical data is transferred at rates far in excess of those detectableby the human eye, and so a person is not able to detect any visiblechanges as the data is being transferred. Additionally, because opticalillumination is constrained by opaque objects such as walls, thelocation of a badge and associated person can be discerned to aparticular room, hallway or other similar space.

In such an embodiment, the user can use the name tag as a communicationdevice. Alternatively, the user may use the name tag to stream music, orvideo if a display is included. Furthermore, the optical XCVR can alsoinclude non-volatile memory (FLASHRAM, EEPROM, and EPROM, for example)that can store firmware for the optical XCVR, as well as textinformation, audio signals, video signals, contact information for otherusers, etc., as is common with current cell phones. While a hard-drivemay be used instead of these semiconductor-based memory devices,hard-drives may be impractical in some embodiments based on their size,access times, as well as their susceptibility to jarring.

There are numerous applications of such a design. For example, in someembodiments, an optical XCVR is engaged to a door lock. When a user witha name tag approaches a locked door, the name tag broadcasts the uniquecode, and an optical XCVR in communication with the door lock receivesthe code, and if acceptable, unlocks or opens the door. A table ofacceptable codes may be stored in a memory device that is incommunication with, and accessible by, the door's optical XCVR.Alternatively, the door's optical XCVR may transmit a code to a centralstation that compares the user's code against a table of approved codesand then sends a response either allowing or denying access.

The present invention reduces the extent of human interaction requiredto control various functions such as light switches and thermostats,while simultaneously increasing the capabilities of such controls.Individual or selected groups of lights may be selectively configuredfor optimal physiological and psychological effects and benefits for oneor more applications, and then may be readily reconfigured withoutchanges to physical structures for diverse applications having differentrequirements for optimal physiological and/or psychological effects andbenefits. Rather than waiting for a time delay as is the case withmotion detectors, the optical XCVRs (and in some embodiments the opticalXCVRs in conjunction with software) in the lighting fixture recognizeimmediately that the person has moved beyond a particular light,allowing that particular light to be dimmed or turned off Also, thissmart technology may be used to turn lights on only for people with thecorrect code embedded in their name tag. In such an embodiment, the usercan walk into a restricted area, and if not authorized to be there, thelights would remain off, and if authorized the lights would turn on.Alternatively, a teacher with a name tag grading papers in a classroom,for example, may use the name tag to turn only the lighting near theteacher's desk at full brightness, while other lighting in the roomremains at a dimmer, more energy efficient, setting.

Energy management is not solely limited to total power consumption. Peakinrush current is also an important factor monitored by many utilitycompanies. This is the peak power draw of the power customer, forexemplary purposes within each twenty-four hour period. By controllingthe timing of illumination and other equipment start-up, electrical drawmay be gradually ramped up. Many devices initially draw more power atstart-up than when operational. So, since each light is individuallyaddressed and controlled and appliances or machines may similarly becontrolled, the communications afforded by the present invention permitmuch smaller banks of devices to be started, allowing those devices tosurge and then settle to lower energy requirements before starting thenext bank of devices. Some devices and machines very quickly drop downto lower power draw. LED light sources are such a device. Banks of thesemay very quickly and sequentially be started. Other devices, such aselectrical compressors found in heat pumps, refrigeration and airconditioning units, may require much more time for start-up, beforeadditional devices should be started. Likewise, the particular order ofstart-up may be optimized for the various electrical loads found withina building. All of this is readily accomplished through simpleprogramming and communication through preferred LED light sources orequivalents thereto.

In other embodiments of the invention, numbers of occupants within aspace may be used not only for anticipating illumination, but also tocontrol operation of other appliances and machinery within the building.Exemplary of this, but not limited thereto, are water and space heatersand coolers, and all other electrical or electrically controllabledevices.

In some embodiments, the name tag may be used to assist emergencypersonnel. For example, if a person with a name tag had anincapacitating emergency condition while walking along a hallway in abuilding with optical XCVRs, as in the embodiments described above, thehallway lighting can be modified to direct emergency workers directly tothe injured person. The lights can be made to flash, change color, orform directional arrows, or sequential directional indicators, orotherwise signify to the emergency personnel the quickest path to theperson.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the optical XCVRmay be incorporated into a clock, preferably on the face of the clock,as seen in FIGS. 1-10. The AC electrical wiring of a building (e.g.school, office, etc.) is used to provide BOPL access to the building.The building includes a master clock 220 and one or more clocks 222located throughout the building, each clock powered by the AC electricalwiring 224, as seen in FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the master clock 220and the other clocks 222 are on the same electrical circuit. The masterclock may include a number of functions, including an annunciator panel.The annunciator panel may be used to communicate fire alarms, tornadoalarms, lockdowns, presence of an unknown person(s), etc. to annunciatorpanels on the other clocks. The master clock is in operativecommunication with a power line bridge 150. The master clock includesappropriate circuitry for encoding the alarm signals and transmittingthem to the power line bridge onto the AC electrical wiring. The packetsare then routed to clocks located in other rooms in the building tocommunicate the alarm signal.

The other clocks include power line bridge circuitry for decoding thesignal and a display and/or speaker for communicating the transmittedalarm. As seen in FIG. 2, the clocks 222 further include one or moreoptical XCVRs 160 that allow communication between other devices in aroom that are equipped with optical XCVRs, such as thermostats 226,smoke detectors 228, cameras 230, and PA speaker 232, as seen in FIG. 4.The optical XCVRs in the clock also allow communication with other roomsand/or a central location. For example, upon sensing smoke, a smokedetector equipped with an optical XCVR broadcasts the signal, which isin turn received by the clock's optical XCVR and transmitted over the ACwiring to a central location as an alarm.

Energy management may also be accomplished by using the optical XCVR onthe clock to turn down/up a thermostat equipped with an optical XCVR,based on the time of day, or whether anyone is in the room. In such anembodiment, students, for example, may each wear one of theabove-described name tags that broadcast a unique code. If the opticalXCVR in the clock in the room is polling and does not detect any uniquecodes being broadcast in the room, it sends the information along to acentral location that, in turn, instructs the optical XCVR in the clockto broadcast a signal to turn the thermostat up/down to save energy. Asimilar function may be performed with respect to the lighting in theroom. As described in detail above, the BOPL and optical XCVRs may beused to provide Internet access, thereby allowing the optical XCVR onthe clock to be the access point for the Internet connection. If a PAspeaker is included in the clock, or is in communication with the clockas in FIG. 4, the optical XCVR of the clock may also be used as a publicaddress system to broadcast messages.

In some embodiments, the clock face is an analog display, as seen inFIG. 2. However, in at least one embodiment, the clock is a digitalclock, as seen in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the LED segments 234 actboth as the display of the clock and as the LEDs used for transmittingdata signals. The digital clock further includes one or more photodiodes126 for receiving data signals.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, each student in aschool wears a name tag with an optical XCVR. The optical XCVR on a nametag may communicate with the optical XCVR on a clock to indicate whethera student in a classroom is present, or provide the student's location.In a normal classroom setting multiple students will be present. Thus, achannel access method can be provided to allow all students and teachersto use the clock's optical XCVR.

In some embodiments, a channel access method like time division multipleaccess (TDMA) may be used. TDMA splits a signal into timeslots, witheach user transmitting only in their allotted time slot. One of ordinaryskill will recognize that frequency division multiple access (FDMA),code division multiple access (CDMA), or other channel access method maybe used to allow multiple optical XCVRs to transmit to a single opticalXCVR.

In some embodiments, the optical XCVR associated with the clock, forexample, is constructed and arranged such that each photodiode acts as aseparate receiver channel. The multi-channel optical XCVR on the clockmay be used for parallel processing of received data, for example 30students with unique name tags transmitting simultaneously. In such anembodiment, it may not be necessary to use channel access methodsbecause the optical XCVR is designed with sufficient channel capacity tohandle all incoming traffic. In some embodiments, the processor of theoptical XCVR may simultaneously process all incoming signals. Inembodiments where the processor cannot simultaneously process allincoming signals, it may be desirable to include buffers to buffer theincoming signals so that signals are processed according to the timethey were received.

In at least one embodiment, the optical XCVR associated with the clock,for example, is constructed and arranged such that each LED acts as aseparate transmission channel. The multi-channel optical XCVR on theclock may be used for parallel transmission of data, for example. Thatis, each LED in the LED array of the optical XCVR may be used tobroadcast a different data stream. So, LED1 could broadcast a datastream to computer 1, and LED2 could simultaneously broadcast adifferent data stream to computer 2, and LED3 could simultaneouslybroadcast a different data stream to computer 3, etc. It should be notedthat the optical XCVR in a clock is an exemplary embodiment. One ofordinary skill will recognize that a multi-channel optical XCVR may beembodied in numerous other devices, or as a standalone device.

As stated above, the LEDs may be bi-directional. In at least oneembodiment, the optical XCVR is comprised of bi-directional LEDs. Insuch an embodiment, the optical XCVR is constructed and arranged suchthat at least one of the bi-directional LEDs allows paralleltransmitting and receiving of light signals.

Within the disclosure provided herein, the term “processor” refers to aprocessor, controller, microprocessor, microcontroller, mainframecomputer or server, or any other device that can execute instructions,perform arithmetic and logic functions, access and write to memory,interface with peripheral devices, etc.

As described herein each, optical XCVR may also include non-volatilememory (FLASHRAM, EEPROM, and EPROM, for example) that may storefirmware for the optical XCVR, as well as text information, audiosignals, video signals, contact information for other users, etc., as iscommon with current cell phones.

In some embodiments, an optical signal amplifier is in communicationwith the photodiodes to increase the signal strength of the receivedlight signals. In at least one embodiment, the LEDs are in operativecommunication with an LED power driver, ensuring a constant currentsource for the LEDs.

In some embodiments, the XCVRs may include circuitry that performsmodulation, demodulation, data compression, data decompression, upconverting, down converting, coding, interleaving, pulse shaping, andother communication and signal processing techniques, as are known bythose of ordinary skill in the art.

An embodiment of a slave clock 3107 combined with optical transmitter3102 and optical detector 3103 is illustrated in FIG. 16. Opticaltransmitter 3102 preferably comprises at least one optical LED, and mostpreferably comprises an RGB LED, designating that the LED includes Red,Green, and Blue which are the primary additive colors from which allother colors including white may be produced. For exemplary purposesonly, optical transmitter 3102 may comprise discrete LEDs of eachprimary color, or may alternatively be a single RGB LED integrated ontoa common die, taking the physical form of a single LED. Furthermore,more than one RGB LED may be integrated upon a single die or within acommon package or optical transmitter 3102, as may be deemed mostappropriate. In practice, there is no limit to the number of RGB LEDsthat may be used, other than physical size and available spacelimitations, and thermal dissipation capacity and power requirementconstraints.

By controlling the relative power applied to each one of the RGB LEDs,different colors may be produced. This concept is well-known as the RGBmodel, and is used today in nearly all video displays. Color televisionsand computer monitors, for example, incorporate very small red, greenand blue (RGB) dots adjacent to each other. To produce white regions onthe screen, all three RGB dots are illuminated. Black dots are theresult of none of the RGB dots being illuminated. Other colors areproduced by illuminating one or more of the dots at different relativelevels, or alternatively controlling how many closely adjacent dots ofone primary color are fully illuminated relatively to the other twoprimary colors. The display of different colors can be used as a part ofa visual signaling system, using particular colors as indicators ofparticular information. As one example, though not limiting the presentinvention in any way, a flashing red optical transmitter 3102 mightsignal a fire drill, while a steady red optical transmitter 3102 mightsignal an actual fire. Any type of condition, such as a tornado, fire,lockdown, or movement may be signaled. With an RGB LED, all colors maybe used and steady versus flashing illumination may be further combined,making the distinguishable set of optical indicators available to asystem designer very large.

While other options exist for producing white light from LEDs, the useof an RGB LED absent of phosphors is preferred for most applications ofthe present invention. Not only is color of the light easily controlledusing well-known RGB technology, but also by their very nature phosphorstend to slow down the rate at which an LED may be illuminated andextinguished due to phosphor latencies. For the purposes of the presentinvention, where an optical communications channel is created usingoptical transmitter 3102, higher data transfer rates may be obtainedwith more rapid control of illumination levels. Consequently, ifphosphors are used in the generation and/or conversion of light, and iffaster data exchange rates through optical communications are desired,these phosphors will preferably be very fast lighting and extinguishing.

Optical detector 3103 may either be a broad spectrum detector oralternatively color-filtered or sensitive to only a single color.Detector 3103 will be any of the many known in the art, the particularselection which will be determined by well-known considerations such assensitivity, reliability, availability, cost and other considerations.

FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment slave clock 3107′ combined withoptical receiver 3103 and a different optical transmitter 3104. Where anLED slave clock exists, one or more of the LED segments has thecapability of serving as an optical transmitter 3104. In thisembodiment, more segments are available, but in most cases these LEDsegments will emit only a single color, eliminating the ability to usecolors as a part of visible signaling. Flashing may, however, still beused.

FIG. 8 illustrates by projected environmental view an embodiment of acommunications network incorporating master and slave synchronizedclocks. In accord with a preferred method of the invention, opticaltransmitter LEDs 3102, 3104 are used to transmit one or more kinds ofdata, including identity, location, audio and video information, andvarious data signals. The data signals may arise through communicationswithin a Local Area Network (LAN), sometimes referred to as an Intranet,owing to the common use of such a network entirely within an officespace, building, or business. The data may additionally or alternativelyarise through communication with a Wide Area Network (WAN), commonlydescribing a network coupling widely separated physical locations whichare connected together through any suitable connection, including forexemplary purposes but not solely limited thereto such means as fiberoptic links, T1 lines, Radio Frequency (RF) links including cellulartelecommunications links, satellite connections, DSL connections, oreven Internet connections. Generally, where more public means such asthe Internet are used, secured access will commonly separate the WANfrom general Internet traffic. The data may further arise throughcommunications with the Internet.

The data is introduced at a junction between master clock 3105 and slaveclocks 3107 using a Broadband-over-Power-Line (BPL) transceiver 3106.BPL transceiver 3106 may use circuitry already known in the art, but mayalso further comprise a detector and control which disables datatransfer during ordinary clock synchronization.

The use of an optical communications link provides large availablebandwidth, which in turn permits multiple feeds of personalcommunication between slave clocks 3107 and other light communicationsenabled devices. Optical data is transferred at rates far in excess ofthose detectable by the human eye, and so in many cases a person may notbe able to detect any visible changes as the data is being transferred.Additionally, a plurality of LEDs may be incorporated into an array, andmay be used for a plurality of communications channels. In this case,the likelihood of the plurality all going dark, resulting in visibledifferences in room illumination is reduced. Software may further beincorporated to monitor and predict illumination, and control datatransmissions from one or more streams accordingly to maintain desiredillumination levels. In another embodiment, some of the plurality ofLEDs may be maintained in an on state, while others of the array may beused for data transmission. In these cases, the minimum possibleillumination is that of the on-state LEDs. As may be appreciated, anumber of approaches are available or will be apparent from theforegoing discussion to maintain baseline illumination.

Because optical illumination is constrained by opaque objects such aswalls, the location of an associated device or person can be discernedto a particular room, hallway or other similar space. In contrast, priorart GPS systems and cell phone triangulation techniques are typicallyonly accurate to one or several hundred feet. Horizontally, this priorart precision is adequate for many applications. However, verticallyseveral hundred feet could encompass twenty floors in an office orapartment building. The preferred embodiment, capable of precision to aroom or light fixture, therefore has much more exact pinpointing thanhitherto available. It can locate a person immediately, even in a largearea and/or among a large crowd, and can keep track of a largepopulation simultaneously. The large bandwidth permits video signals tobe integrated, providing the opportunity to create audio-video recordsthat are fixed in time and location.

Since location may be relatively precisely discerned, opticaltransmitter LEDs 3102, 3104 may in one embodiment be configured tochange color, flash, or otherwise be visually changed or manipulated toassist with directional guidance, personnel or intruder identification,energy management, or even to facilitate the meeting and connection ofindividuals.

In other embodiments of the invention, numbers of occupants within aspace may be used not only for anticipating illumination, but also tocontrol operation of other appliances and machinery within the building.Exemplary of this, but not limited thereto, are water and space heatersand coolers, and all other electrical, electro-mechanical orelectrically controllable devices.

In the event of an unauthorized presence, and in accord with anotherembodiment of the invention, the present preferred apparatus may be usedfor detection and location. When a building is dark, in many cases anunauthorized person will rely upon a flashlight to move through thebuilding. Most preferably, optical detector 3103 will detect thisunidentified light source. In such case, since the location of opticaldetector 3103 is known precisely, the location of the unauthorizedperson is also known. Further, even as the unauthorized person movesabout, so the unauthorized person will be tracked by virtue of the lightemitting from the unauthorized person's flashlight. When emergencypersonnel are called to the building, LED optical transmitters 3102,3104 may be used to guide the emergency personnel to the exact locationof the unauthorized person. The emergency personnel may not be limitedto police. As may by now be apparent, ambulance workers as well aspolice would appreciate flashing directional lights because quickeraccess to an emergency scene could potentially save lives. This customguidance system can include red, white or other suitably colored orilluminated lights which may be steady or flashing for emergencysituations.

FIG. 9 illustrates by front environmental view an embodiment of abuilding communication and management system within one room or space3020, using a single slave clock 3107 to communicate with a variety ofdiverse devices through optical LED communication channels. In practice,in a schoolroom or other public building this clock 3107 couldcommunicate with other light communication enabled devices. Forexemplary purposes only, and not limiting thereto, other lightcommunication enabled devices might include: public address system 3108;another clock 3107; a thermostat 3109; fire and smoke alarms 3110 and3111; or a camera 3112. Since these devices are light communicationenabled, they may be controlled and/or monitored. Thus information fromany enabled device can be shared with all other devices on the samenetwork as the clock. Slave clock 3107 communication can further beshared with optically-enabled name tags, telephones, TV and music,Internet, public address, computing devices of all sorts, ranging fromhand-held devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to massivemainframe computers, and including Personal Computers (PCs), printers,network storage devices, other security and safety devices, appliances,HVAC systems, manufacturing machinery, and so forth. Essentially, anydevice which incorporates or can be made to incorporate sufficientelectronic circuitry may communicate with slave clock 3107 to exchangeinformation at any time.

A building's security may further be enhanced through the use of nametags, which a slave clock 3107 can read and communicate with. Theappropriate command signaled from LED optical transmitters 3102, 3104may additionally control door locks. Camera 3112 can broadcast videothrough the optical link, and anything on the clock network can receivethe picture. This would be most useful for recording or broadcast.

Many different conditions or devices may be simultaneously monitoredand/or controlled when they are broadcasting information through thepreferred clock network, because they are operating on a wide-bandwidthoptical link. This information can be used anywhere on the clocknetwork, which includes the other rooms or a central server. Bandwidthmay be limited by existing clock synchronization wiring, but shouldstill be able to provide enough to additionally incorporate videosignals from at least one user, such as a teacher in a classroom.Furthermore, where desired and suitably enabled, all types of data orinformation may be carried through the preferred communications systemsillustrated in the Figures, including but not limited to telephonesignals, television signals, Internet connections, building maintenancewiring such as thermostats, fire alarms, motion detectors, and any otherelectrical or electronic apparatus existing or appearing within the roomor space. Thus, a building need to be wired only for power andsynchronized clocks, saving a huge infrastructure of other wires andfixtures and in turn saving a great deal of money.

While bandwidth may be relatively limited in the case of opensynchronization wiring interspersed with other wires or adjacent toother sources of EMI/RFI, several additional circumstances may pre-existor may be provided to boost the bandwidth of a system designed in accordwith the present invention. In one embodiment, all or manysynchronization wires are shielded within a conduit or other suitableshielding, most preferably for the entire distance between BPStransceiver 106 and each slave clock 3107. Such shielding results in thepreferred S-BPL communications channel, which is anticipated to havehigher bandwidth capability than provided with open and unshieldedwires.

Relatively recently, artisans have also proposed using so-called E-linesfor extremely high bandwidth, low attenuation transmission. Suchtransmission schemes are, for exemplary purposes, proposed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,104,107 and 7,009,471, the contents of each which areincorporated by reference for their teachings of high-speedtransmissions over single conductors. While the present invention isfully operational using known or well-established transmissiontechniques and resulting bandwidths, and so is completely independent ofthe whether these E-line transmission techniques work and are applicableor not to the present invention, the present invention furthercontemplates improvements to bandwidth using useful and functionaltransmission techniques and the incorporation of the same whereoperationally suitable.

The usefulness of embodiments of the present invention is illustrated,for example, by smoke alarm 3110. Since it is optically enabled, it canbroadcast to slave clock 3107 the existence of a fire. The location ofslave clock 3107 will preferably be stored, so the location andexistence are both immediately known. Since the whole network is awareof the site of the fire, the nearest personnel can implement evacuationplans. Likewise, public address system 3108 can immediately directtraffic in the event of an emergency.

Camera 3112 provides video feed of the activity in a given room, thusenhancing security. If audio and/or video is enabled, through one ormore personal communications badges or separate wall-mounted cameras3112, the video can be used to capture the last-known conditions of auser or an area. This can be important in the event a disaster strikesthat results in significant destruction of property or life.

Monitoring of thermostat 3109 by the network allows the temperature of aroom to be controlled according to various factors such as outdoortemperature, building temperature, and the number of occupants.

Thus communication, security, and energy/building management are vastlyimproved through the clock with optical transmitter and receiver.

FIG. 10 illustrates by block diagram an electrical schematic of acommunications network incorporating master and slave synchronizedclocks such as illustrated by FIG. 8, but with only one slave clockillustrated therein. Incoming/Outgoing BPL communication 3201 isprovided through a clock synchronization wire, as shown in FIG. 8, fromBPL transceiver 3106. This is the shared electrical circuit.

A BPL transceiver 3202 is provided at clock 3107 to receive and transmitdata from/to the BPL enabled electrical circuit shared by the slaveclocks. The particular interface implemented may vary. Currently anumber of existing interfaces could be used, such as Universal SerialBus (USB), Ethernet, Media Independent Interface (MII), etc, and theparticular choice of interface could further depend on the BPLtransceiver used, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

A micro-controller, microprocessor, ASIC or the like 3203 is providedfor program control that can transmit/receive data to/from BPLcommunication network 3201 through BPL transceiver 3202. Microprocessor3203 in an embodiment may respond to commands received on this network3201 to manipulate enable circuitry 3204, and may also issue commands orsend data to network 3201 if needed. If the transmit portion of enablecircuitry 3204 is enabled, these commands/data will also be passed tothe optical link.

Enable circuitry 3204, through driver circuitry 3205, may in oneembodiment be enabled to turn on or off the LED optical transmitters3102, 3104, as well as change the characteristics of the light, such asbrightness and even color mix when multicolor LEDs are used. This isuseful for things such as an annunciator light or emergency light, whichmay provide a visual indicator for things such as tornado, lock-down,fire, movement, etc. Enable circuitry 3204 may also manipulate theability for BPL communication network 3201 to send and/or receive dataat this clock to or from the optical link.

Driver circuitry 3205 and LED(s) 3206 will pass any signals to theoptical link for other devices designed to communicate with clock 3107.Driver circuitry 3205 may, in the preferred embodiment, simply beappropriate buffering, isolation, modulation or amplification circuitrywhich will provide appropriate voltage and power to adequately drive LEDemitter 3206 into producing a visible light transmission. Exemplary ofcommon driver circuits are operational amplifiers (Op-amps) andtransistor amplifiers, though those skilled in the art of signalconditioning will recognize many optional circuits and components whichmight optionally be used in conjunction with the present invention.Also, it may be desirable to use a modulation scheme with the signal.The transmit circuitry may have to provide a means of modulation in thiscase, also preferably incorporated into driver circuitry 3205. The typeof modulation will be decided using known considerations at the time ofdesign, selected for exemplary purposes from FM, AM, PPM, PDM, PWM,OFDM, and QAM.

Similar to but preferably complementary with the transmission circuitry,receiver circuitry 3207 receives data from the optical link detected byphoto sensor 3208. Receiver circuitry 3207 will appropriately condition,and may further convert a data-bearing electrical signal. As but oneexample of such conversion, receiver circuitry 3207 may additionallydemodulate a data-bearing electrical signal, if the data stream has beenmodulated by an optical host. Suitable buffering, amplification andother conditioning may be provided to yield a received data signal.

In one embodiment, LED 3206 may be illuminated as a night light at lowpower. Where properly enabled with battery back-up or the like, thepreferred embodiment communications such as illustrated in the Figuresmay further provide communications and emergency lighting in the eventof a power failure.

In an embodiment of the invention, an intelligent audio/visualobservation and identification database system may also be coupled tosensors as disposed about a building, relying upon the presentcommunications system transmitting over the synchronization wire of aclock system. The system may then build a database with respect totemperature sensors within specific locations, pressure sensors, motiondetectors, communications badges, phone number identifiers, soundtransducers, and/or smoke or fire detectors. Recorded data as receivedfrom various sensors may be used to build a database for normalparameters and environmental conditions for specific zones of astructure for individual periods of time and dates. A computer maycontinuously receive readings/data from remote sensors for comparison tothe pre-stored or learned data to identify discrepancies therebetween.In addition, filtering, flagging and threshold procedures may beimplemented to indicate a threshold discrepancy to signal an officer toinitiate an investigation. The reassignment of priorities and thestorage and recognition of the assigned priorities occurs at thecomputer to automatically recalibrate the assignment of points or flagsfor further comparison to a profile prior to the triggering of a signalrepresentative of a threshold discrepancy.

The intelligent audio/visual observation and identification databasesystem may also be coupled to various infrared or ultraviolet sensors,in addition to the optical sensors incorporated directly into LEDoptical transmitters 3102, 3104 and optical detectors 3103, and used forsecurity/surveillance within a structure to assist in the earlyidentification of an unauthorized individual within a security zone orthe presence of an intruder without knowledge of the intruder.

The intelligent audio/visual observation and identification databasesystem as coupled to sensors and/or building control systems for abuilding which may be based upon audio, temperature, motion, pressure,phone number identifiers, smoke detectors, fire detectors and firealarms is based upon automatic storage, retrieval and comparison ofobserved/measured data to prerecorded data, in further comparison to thethreshold profile parameters to automatically generate a signal to asurveillance, security, or law enforcement officer.

The optical link does not interfere with existing communication systemslike those that are common today. Consequently, the preferred embodimentmay be used in a variety of applications where prior art systems weresimply unable due to EMI/RFI considerations.

Set-up, testing, troubleshooting and the like are also vastlysimplified. When the light communication system is working, the user canactually see the illumination. If an object interferes with lighttransmission, the user will again immediately recognize the same. Thus,the ease and convenience of this light system adds up to greatermobility and less cost. In addition, relatively high energy outputs maybe provided where desired using the preferred visible lightcommunications channel, since the human eye is adapted andwell-protected against damage from light. In contrast, many invisibletransmission techniques such as Ultraviolet (UV) or Infra-Red (IR)systems have much potential for harm.

A host lamp fixture system may replace stationary (mounted in aparticular place) lighting fixtures in order to communicate data. Insideof LED lights there may be one or many dies; these may pulsate onslightly different frequencies from a single light to communicate. Eachmay be looking for changes by way of Multiple Channel Access or othersuitable technique.

In addition to being directed to the embodiments described above andclaimed below, the present invention is further directed to embodimentshaving different combinations of the features described above andclaimed below. As such, the invention is also directed to otherembodiments having any other possible combination of the dependentfeatures claimed below.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof; and it is,therefore, desired that the present embodiment be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made tothe appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicatethe scope of the invention.

Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims canbe combined with each other in other manners within the scope of theinvention such that the invention should be recognized as alsospecifically directed to other embodiments having any other possiblecombination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, forpurposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows shouldbe taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from allprior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependentclaim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within thejurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim 1 should bealternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). Injurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, thefollowing dependent claims should each be also taken as alternativelywritten in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependencyfrom a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claimlisted in such dependent claim below.

This completes the description of the preferred and alternateembodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognizeother equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein whichequivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attachedhereto.

The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive.This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one ofordinary skill in this art. The various elements shown in the individualfigures and described above may be combined or modified for combinationas desired. All these alternatives and variations are intended to beincluded within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising”means “including, but not limited to”.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. In combination, an LED light and communicationsystem in communication with a broadband over power line communicationssystem, the LED light and communication system comprising: at least oneoptical transceiver comprising at least one identifier, the opticaltransceiver further comprising: a light support having at least onelight emitting diode and at least one photodetector attached thereto,said at least one light emitting diode generating light as illumination;and a processor in communication with the at least one light emittingdiode and the at least one photodetector, the processor constructed andarranged to generate a communication signal embedded within saidillumination, wherein the at least one optical transceiver is engaged toa master clock, said master clock comprising at least one opticaltransceiver and at least one photodetector, and at least one subservientclock in communication with said master clock, said at least onesubservient clock comprising at least one optical transceiver and atleast one photodetector, and wherein the master clock is incommunication with the broadband over power line communications systemand wherein said communication signal does not harm eyes of anindividual.
 17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the at least oneoptical transceiver is constructed and arranged to communicate with aname tag.
 18. The combination of claim 17, wherein the name tagcomprises at least one optical transceiver.
 19. The combination of claim18, wherein the name tag includes a unique identifier.
 20. Thecombination of claim 19, wherein the unique identifier is stored innon-volatile memory.
 21. The combination of claim 16, wherein the atleast one optical transceiver is constructed and arranged to communicatewith a thermostat.
 22. The combination of claim 16, wherein the at leastone optical transceiver is constructed and arranged to communicate witha video camera.
 23. The combination of claim 16, wherein the at leastone optical transceiver is constructed and arranged to communicate witha public address system.
 24. The combination of claim 16, wherein the atleast one optical transceiver is constructed and arranged to communicatewith a smoke detector.
 25. The combination of claim 16, furthercomprising an amplifier constructed and arranged to amplify saidcommunication signal, said combination further comprising at least oneof level shifting circuitry, modulation circuitry, phase-shiftingkeying, amplitude-shifting keying, frequency-shifting keying andquadrature modulation.
 26. The combination of claim 20, furthercomprising at least one personal digital assistant in communication withsaid name tag.
 27. The combination of claim 20, further comprising anintelligent audio/visual observation and identification database systemin communication with said LED light and communication system.
 28. Thecombination of claim 20, wherein said processor is constructed andarranged to identify the location of said name tag relative to at leastone of said at least one optical transceivers.
 29. The combination ofclaim 28, wherein said processor is constructed and arranged to alterthe status of at least one of illumination lights and door locksfollowing positioning of said name tag relative to at least one of saidoptical transceivers.